


One Moment, Please

by TheAsexualofSpades



Series: Quarantine Drabbles [135]
Category: Star Trek, Star Trek: Discovery
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, F/F, Fluff, Gen, Legal Drama, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Vulcan Mind Melds, can be platonic or romantic you decide
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-06
Updated: 2020-08-06
Packaged: 2021-03-06 03:27:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,267
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25746622
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheAsexualofSpades/pseuds/TheAsexualofSpades
Summary: Working on any sort of legal affair is going to be exhausting. Working on interspecies legal affairs is doubly exhausting. Working on them with your brother is...well...Needless to say, Michael's tired. She just needs a moment.
Relationships: Michael Burnham & Paul Stamets, Michael Burnham & Spock, Michael Burnham & Sylvia Tilly, Michael Burnham/Sylvia Tilly, Paul Stamets & Sylvia Tilly
Series: Quarantine Drabbles [135]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1677655
Comments: 3
Kudos: 35





	One Moment, Please

**Author's Note:**

> god there's so many things about mind-melds that make me have so many questions

Fandom: Star Trek

Prompt: “I’m not going anywhere.”

* * *

The mycelial forest is beautiful. The mere concept of physics as biology is magnificent in of as itself, but in _practice…_

The forest glows iridescent blues, greens, yellows, purples, a mix of cool and warm colors that cover the chamber. Michael sits transfixed by the spores floating around. If she listens, she can hear them whizzing about. It’s like they’re talking.

“Oh, hey! I didn’t realize you were back!”

Tilly. It’s Tilly. She turns and sees the ensign’s — she’s so proud — red curls bouncing as she makes her way across the court.

“Yes. Sorry I didn’t tell you. I just,” Michael gestures around weakly. “needed a place to think. Am I intruding?”

“No, you’re okay.” Tilly stops next to her, slightly out of breath. “Can I sit with you?”

Michael hesitates…“Sure.”

Tilly plops down. “Where’d you get back from?”

“I am working with Spock on developing a new classification for mind-melds under the Federation’s legal system.”

“Is it going pretty well, what you do have?”

_Oh, Tilly. We love you, we love your curiosity, but... You do ask the hard questions._

“Yes, the base is taking shape pretty well,” A says tiredly. “There are a lot of nuances, and I’ve mapped out a good number of those, so the overall concept fairly well covered.”

“Well, that’s good…right?”

A looks at Tilly. She looks… _warm._ And it’s been so long since she’s had a friend other than Spock to talk to…

“Yes, that’s good.”

“Is that where Spock is now?”

“Yes.”

Tilly’s curiosity seems sated, so they sit in silence for a while. The forest hums and glows.

“Is this his assignment or yours?”

“His.”

Perhaps she can use some of this mapping for the decompression program for when she needs to meditate, the atmospheric pressure is —

“So how does that work? Given that a mind-meld is a Vulcan trait is there a different protocol that has to be built in for non-telepathic species?”

_Tilly, you’re brilliant._

“I mean you have a piece of Sarek’s…katra stuck in your brain, right? Where does that fall under the clause?”

With a sigh, Michael tucks her knees to her chest and looks over at Tilly. She catches one glimpse of those eyes and gives them a tired smile, _I’m so glad you’re my friend_ before she looks away.

“…there has to be an imposed limit due to the psychological strain on a non-telepathic species…” she waves her hand around her head, “we haven’t gotten around to…this yet.”

“How do you know if it’ll work?”

“Well…” Michael sighs. She _really_ doesn’t want to use this much brainpower right now, but Tilly has a right to know…especially if she’s smart enough to figure it out on her own. “There has to be an agreement of consent from both parties, as well as a warrant.”

“So when Vulcans mind-meld with each other…”

“Um…that’s actually a _lot_ more complicated.” _Meaning I do not really want to talk about it right now._

“Okay.”

Michael heaves a sigh. Tilly has a right to know. It’s okay, they’ve discussed this, and if she’s going to have to stand with Spock and present this, she may as well get some practice now.

“…sorry. Can we just…wait a second? I just…need a second.”

“Sure.”

_Tilly, I love you._

“Tilly?”

“Oh, hi sir!”

Stamets.

She can hear him walking across the chamber. She doesn’t want to look back. The patronizing glare is something she’s had enough of recently.

“What’re you doing here?” She’s also had enough of suspicious patronizing if anyone’s making a list.

“Well, I was coming to check the scanners when I found Michael. She’s explaining the new project that she’s doing with Spock.”

“Oh.”

She looks up. Stamets is standing on the other side of Tilly. He’s staring at her, but…he doesn’t…look…angry? Better safe than sorry, right?

“…would you like us to leave, sir?”

Something changes in his face. For a moment, she thinks he’s gonna throw her out. Then —

“No. You don’t have to.” He points at the spot next to Tilly. “Can I join you?”

“Sure.”

He settles himself opposite them against a…bush? Shrub? Small plant thing. “So, what’d I miss?”

Tilly launches into a recap. Stamets glances over at her a few times, she can tell, but Tilly’s as incredible as always ‘cause she’s got it down pact. Michael lets her mind blank out for a moment, letting their conversation fade into background noise. She closes her eyes and just breathes. The scent of the mycelial forest is clean, slightly floral, but not overwhelming. It just smells…safe. Good.

“I see.” Right, Stamets and Tilly are still here. She blinks.

“…are you ready to explain the next bit?”

She looks at Tilly, then Stamets. This is a _choice._ She can say no and it’ll be fine. Refreshing.

“Yeah, sure. Ready?”

“Yep.”

“Yes.”

“So…” Michael shuffles and crosses her legs. Her gestures become slowly more animated as she talks. “The majority of species in the Federation are non-psychic. The exceptions I have the most personal experience with are Betazoids and Vulcans.”

“Okay.”

“That being said, a Vulcan mind-meld is something that exerts a psychological strain on any non-Vulcan.”

“Regardless of whether or not the other species has telepathic or psychic capabilities?” Stamets asks.

“Yes.”

“So it’s much harder to create a uniform regulation,” he guesses and wow she’s missed them.

“Yes.”

“Are there any pre-existing Vulcan regulations that can work as a scaffolding?”

She glances at Tilly before squinting. “Yes, but…Vulcans are not exactly the most…willing to divulge that sort of information.” She rubs her temples with one hand. Ouch.

“Cool. So how does — “

“Tilly, you said you came in here to check the scanners,” Stamets interrupts, “did you get around to it?”

She can _hear_ Tilly’s guilty expression. “No, I, um…got distracted?”

“Well, grab the readings and head back. Finish quickly and I’m sure Michael’ll tell you more.”

Tilly scrambles up, shouts a quick ‘be right back!’ and scampers off. Stamets huffs a laugh and starts to get up. She can’t bring herself to make much of an effort to say goodbye. Hopefully, he won’t take it too personally.

She starts when he takes Tilly’s place. He sits quietly for a second then turns to her.

“Tilly is…incredible, isn’t she?”

No argument here.

“But sometimes she’s just a bit much, hmm?”

Her mouth bobbles open. He smirks lightly.

“I may not _like_ emotions, but that doesn’t mean I don’t notice them or how they work. You looked like you were getting a little overwhelmed.”

“…thank you.”

“Sure thing, kiddo.”

Wait, he’s getting up —

“No!”

He stops, startled.

_Shit._ “…will you stay, please?”

For a moment, she thinks he’s just going to pat her shoulder or something and leave.

“Of course.”

Oh, yay. He sits quietly, a reassuring presence.

“I know a bit about what it’s like to be…shut in with legal and academic language screaming in your ears.”

She nods. “I’m just…tired.”

“Well, from the sounds of it, you’ve got a right to be.”

The mycelial forest seems…happier? with Stamets here. Maybe it can sense itself in him. Like the tardigrade. At any rate, it seems really excited now. The spores are buzzing? Flying? Sure, Stamets could tell her — much faster now. It’s nice.

“You wanna talk about it?”

“No. No, thank you.”

“You don’t have to pull away if you don’t want to, kiddo. I’m not going anywhere.”

They sit there in the quiet of the forest.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Come yell at me on tumblr while we're all in quarantine. 
> 
> https://a-small-batch-of-dragons.tumblr.com/


End file.
